Sanitary commode



Jan. 7, 1930- w. T. BURKET-r En' AL 1,743,079

SANITARY coMMoDE Original Filed Nov. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l i s i IHN! Q nwhtou Jan. 7, 1930.

W. T. BURKETT El' AL SANITARY COMMODE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 original Filed Nov. 22. 192s of i plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Patented Jan. 7, 193() UNITED STATES ,i 1,743,079'ff PATENT OFFICE WYATT T. BURKETT, oF T'USCMBA, AND GENERAL W. HUMfiRrEs, or SEFF'I'ELD,

ALABAMA A Y SANITARY CMMOJ Application led Novel-abel'l 22, 1928, lSerial T he invention aims primarily to provide a new and improved coininode construction which is absolutely tight and ily-proof when not in use and is provided with unique spring- F operated means insuring lowering of both a o pivoted seat and its cover after using the and closing means therefor which may be used with various kinds of closets.-

Yet another aim is to provide a new and improved hopper construction, that shown being intended primarily for a cement-topped pit toilet.

vWith the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, description bein accomplished by reference to the accompanying E,i drawings.

Fig'. l is a side elevation of a commode constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. Q. is a rear' elevation partly in section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view showing the relation of parts which exists when' the cover is raised and the seat occupied.

Fig. 5 is a top plain vien7 partly broken I away and in horizontal section.

Fig'. 6 is a detail vertical sectional view showing the relation of parts existing when the seatand cover are both raised for use of the commode as 'a urinala Fig.- 7 is e fragmentary vertical section showing a modilied forni of construction.

The structure herein disclosed may he considered es preferred', and while steh struc; ture' will be specifically described,- itis tobe understood that 'Within the scope of the in No. 321,143; nene-wea November ii, 1929.

vention asclaimed, variations may be 'made'.

We employ a continuous base ring ,8 which is vertically widened and is adapted in ln'ost instances to be inset 'around an opening in the cemet top of a pit, said base ring". being pro-- vided with a laterally off-'set portion 9 having an upstanding collar 10 to which a vent pipe 11 is connected; rlhe upper edge portion l2 of the ring 8 is preferably offsetv inwardly to some extent from the'body' portion of said ring and is received in the lower end of Va hopper Wall 13, said wall end being provided Y with an outstanding iange 111 through which bolts 15 pass tosecure the wall 1 3 to entstand# ing lugs 16 upon the ring 8'.- If the device is to be used in some relation other than with a pit, for instance, if it is to enclose a container, either the ring 8 be secured directly upon a floor or the entire base ring 8 may be Vdispensed with and the flange 14 secured upon the ioor.

Movably received Within the upper portion of the wall 13, is a seat-carrying ring 17, said ring being provided with a rearwardly projecting flange 18 which rests normally upon the upper edge 'of thel wall 18, said flange hav-` ing portions which extend forwardly at the sides of the ring 17 and terminate in trans-4 verse shoulders 19 forming pivots upon which c the ring 17 may tilt, the rear portion 'of the ring moving upwardly when the; iront portion thereof is depressed. Normally, the rear por^ y tion of the ring 17 is lowered and the' front portion raised as seen for' instance iii Figs l and 3, being held in this position by spring" means hereinafter described, and to limit the movement of the fing ,under this spring means, we prefer tei-'provide seid ring with e flange Q0 normally underlying a Vflange 21' which extends inwardly from the upper end of the wall 13.

Hinge posts 22 are secured to and rise' from the' flange 18,- said posts carrying a transverse hinge rod 23 upon whieh seat 24 and noyer 25a-re pivotelly supported-,- said @over 25 have ing a portion 26 which moves downwardly toward the ilange 18 when said cover is swung rearwardly pasta vertical position. Under A this cover portion 26, is a vertical rod 27 whose upper portion passes slidably through a guide on the rear portion of thering 17, said guide being in the present instance formed by a portion of the flange 18, which portion is provided with an opening 28 through which the 'rod 27 passes. The lower portion ofthe rod 27 passes through a lower guide fixedly carriedV by the rear ofthe wall 13. In the present showing, this guide is formed by the apertured bottom 29 of a small casing 30 which is secured to said rear portion of the wall 13,

the rod 27 being slidably received in the aperture 31 of said casing bottom. A coiled com-r pression spring 32 surrounds the rod 27 with# 1n the casing 30 and bears atV its upper end Vagainst a collar or the like 33 secured to said rod.VV The lower end of this spring contacts with an eye 34 on thelower end of ahanger bolt 35 whose upper end is adjustably connected "with the flange 18. The Ylower end of rod 27 is provided with a nut or other stop-,36- which may be adjusted to limit the ascent of said rod under the action of the spring 32 and to dispose the upper extremity 37 of said rod in proper relation with. the portion 26 Vof the seat cover 25. When the parts stand in normal position as seen for instance in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, spring 32 exerts downward force upon the'hanger bolt 35, thuspulling downwardly Y Y upon the flange 18 and holding the entire ring 17 with its front portion raisedkto the limit dictated by thelanges 20%21. The upper exy tremityV 37 of the rod 27 isY now in the path of :the seat cover portion 26, if the latter be f raised for any cause and forced rearwardly i gravity. Hence, upon such movement ofthe .Y cover 25, for instance when ralsing both this beyond a position at which itwould close by cover and the seat 24 as seen in Fig. 6 for use ward swingingY of .bothv seatrand cover.

When the seat 24is to be loccupied,the cover 25 israisedfand temporarily held against the 'i actionof the rod 27"`and vthe spring 32, but

as soon as weight is placed upon the seat 24,; the front portion of the ring 17 isV depressed as ,showncin Fig. 4,; thereby raising the'rearV portion of saidring and causing the flange v1.8 andthe mounting means for Vthe seat and cover to rise. In so rising, thecover portion 26 Vis moved to or slightly beyond the upper` most position ofthe head 37 of the rod 27,A 4so that the cover willv then have no tendency to close. Just as soon however as weight is relieved from the seat 24, the spring 32 which has been compressed by movement of the ring to the position of Fig. 4, restores this ring to the normal positon of Fig. 3. In moving inthis manner, the rear portion of the ring necessarily descends, causing the cover portion Y V26 to strike the upper extremity 37 of the rod 27, so that a forward and downward movement is imparted to said cover, insuringthat it shall close as soon as the seat is vacated. y

In Fig. 7 a modified form of construction is shown which may be used in some instances if desired. In this view,l27a denotes a rod similar to rod.27 passing through the opening 28 of the flange 18 and provided with a head 37a above said ilange. VThe lower end of this rod passes through a lower guide 29a secured to the hopper wall 13, and said lower end of the rod is provided with a nut or the like 36a normally abutting the lower side of said guide 29, This guide 29a may'if desired be the bottom of ,a casing s-uch as 30, but may merely be a lug or bracket as shown. A coiled compression spring 32a surrounds the rod 27a between its head 37a and the` ange 18. This relation of parts performs Y exactly the same work as .the construction above described but is not so desirable in viewV of the facts that the spring 328l isexposed the spring .32 encased, but said casing may be used to contain a lubricant. Y

VIt will be seen from thel foregoing that although our invention is rather simple and inexpensive, it will beelficient and 1n every way desirable, always producing a tight ilyproof strcture having an unusual element of sanitation.

' We claim and the parts cannot be so readily lubricated.

When the casing 30 is employed, not only 1s Y Y 1. In arsanitary commode, a seat cover, ai

kseat carrier on which said seat Vcoveris pivy oted, a closing device forrsaid cover posi-- tioned to engage and act upon said cover" when the latter israised to usethe commode only as a `urinal,'means mounting said'carrier for depression under weight, depressionY ofsaid carrier serving to,L move said cover-V and Vsaid closing ldeviceV out VAof (3o-operativerelation, and means forfrais'lng said carrier,

1175vr i andplacing said cover and saidV closingr decarrier is freed of weight.

f2. Ina sanitary commode, a depressible.V

seat carrier,'a` hinged'seat cover mounted on said carrier, and yieldable means for normally vholding said.` carrier in raisedy position;.

s aid yieldable meansembodying a yieldable portion .against whichA the` cover `must Vbe cal position, whereby saidv yielda'blev portion acts toclose the cover if ,raised4 to an extent at which gravity cannot close it; said seat carrier when depressedjserving to move said Vviceagain in lco-operativerelation when the v forced in order toraisesaid cover `to a vertii cover and said yieldable portion out of cooperative relation and when again raised serving to restore them to co-operative relation to effect cover-closing.

3. A sanitary commode comprising a stationary wall, a seat carrier pivotally mounted near its rear portion on said wall to permit depression of the main portion of said carrier under weight and to effect raising of said rear portion thereof concurrently with said depression, a seat cover pivoted on said rear portion of the carrier and having a portion which moves downwardly toward said rear portion when the cover is used, a depressible spring-raised cover-closing member mounted at the rear of said wall in the downward path of said downwardly movable cover portion, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of said member, whereby this member will be depressed by raising of the seat cover to a vertical position to later act for they purpose of closing said cover, the aforesaid raising of said rear portion of said carrier serving to raise said cover sufliciently to prevent it from depressing said cover closing member when the cover is raised.

4. A sanitary commode comprising a stationary wall, a seat carrier pivotally mounted near its rear portion on said wall to permit depression of the main portion of said carrier under weight and to effect raising of said rear portion thereof concurrently with said depression, a seat cover pivoted on said rear portion of the carrier and having a portion which moves downwardly toward said rear portion when the cover is raised, a substantially vertical rod behind said wall, upper and lower guides on the carrier and wall respec tively, slidably receiving said rod, spring means forcing upwardly -on said rod and downwardly on said upper guide, and a stop for. limiting the upward movement of said rod to a positionA at which said downwardly movable portion of the cover will strike the rod and depress it against the action of said spring means upon forcing of the cover to a vertical position, the aforesaid raising of said rear portion of the carrier serving to permit full opening of said over without depressing said rod but leaving the latter in readiness to effect cover closing upon removal of weight from the carrier.

5. A sanitary commode comprising a continuous wall, a seat-carrying ring pivotally mounted near its rear portion on the upper end of said wall to permit depression of the main portion of saidring under weight and to effect raising'of said rear portion of the ring concurrently with said depression, a seat cover pivoted on said rear portion of said ring and having a portion which moves downwardly towar-d said rear portion when the cover is raised, a substantially vertical rod behind said walls, upper and lower guides on the ring and wall respectively and slidably receiving said rod, spring means forcing upwardly on said rod and downwardly on said upper guide, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of said'rod to a position at which said downwardly movable portion of the cover will strike the rod and de.- press it against the action of said spring means upon forcing of the cover to a vertical position, the aforesaid raising of said rear portion of said lring serving to permit full opening of the cover without depressing said rod but leaving the latter in readiness to effect cover-closing upon removal of weight from the upper wall,

6. In a sanitary commode, an upstanding wall, a sheet-carrying ring movably received within the upper portion of said wall and provided with a rearwardly projecting flange having shoulders which rest upon the upper end of said wall and constitute pivots about which said ring may swing vertically, a seat and a cover therefor both hingedly supported by said flange, said cover having a portion which moves downwardly toward said flange when said cover is raised to vertical position, a spring-raised depressible cover-closing member having a portion spaced above said flange in position to be struck by said downwardly movable portion of the seat cover, and a stop for limiting the upward movement of said member with regard to said wall, depression of the front portion of said ring and consequent raising of said flange serving to suiliciently raise the cover to prevent depression of said member upon opening of said cover.

7. A structure as specified in claim 6; together with an outwardly projecting flange on the front portion of said ring and an inwardly projecting flange on the upper end of said wall, these flanges being co-operable with each other to limit the upward'movement of said front portion of said ring.

8. In a sanitary commode, a vertical wall, a ring movably received within the upper portion of said wall and having a rearwardly projecting flange, said flange being provided with shoulders which rest upon the upper end of said wall and act as pivots about which the ring may vertically swing, said flange being provided with an opening, a vertical rod passing slidably through said opening, a fixed guide carried by the rear portion of said wall and slidably receiving the lower end of said rod, a stop on said rod normally abutting said fixed guide to limit ascent of said rod, spring means acting upwardly upon said rod and downwardly upon said flange, a seat and a cover therefor, and means pivotally mounting said seat and cover upon said flange, said cover having a portion to abut and depress said rod upon opening of said cover to a predetermined extent; depression of the front portion of said ring serving tol elevate said flange sufficient-ly to prevent depression of said rod by raising of said cover.

9. In a sanitary commode, a base ring having a lateral oilset provided with a vent, lateral lugs disposed horizontally and projecting rigidly from the exterior of said ring, a hopper wall surrounding the upper portion of said ring and having an outstanding flange, bolts tying this flange to the aforesaid lugs, and closing means for. the upper end of said wall embodying a seat and a seat cover.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto aflixed our signatures.

WYATT T. BURKETT. GENERAL W. HUMPHRIES. 

